from Lenae
GEMS Training Manager
OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR OTHERSFor none of us lives to himself (herself) alone and none of us dies to himself (herself) alone.
Romans 14:7
Oswald Chambers doesn’t mince words. In one of his devotional thoughts within My Utmost for His Highest he delivers a full course serving about the necessity of interacting with God’s people. He asks, “Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people?”
As God’s people we are to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:39), be kind and forgiving to each other (Ephesians 4:32), confess our sins and pray for one other (James 5:16), encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11), but be responsible for each other? Am I my sister’s keeper?
After Cain attacked and killed his brother Abel, the LORD asked Cain about his brother’s whereabouts. Cain callously retorted, “Am I my brother’s keeper” (Genesis 4:9)? He expressed no remorse or responsibility. He didn’t care about his brother or where his body lay. The only thing that concerned him was his punishment. How was this whole messy deal going to impact him?
When it comes to life and relationships, how often do we need Rick Warren’s reminder within his book, The Purpose Drive Life? The first sentence of the first chapter reads, “It’s not about you.”
What we do and say and think matters. First and foremost they matter because God will hold us accountable for them. Each of us will give an account of himself (herself) to God (Romans 14:12).
Secondly, they matter, not because of how they’ll impact us, but how they’ll impact others. In all that we do and say, eat and drink, you and I must make up our minds not to put any stumbling blocks or obstacles in our brother or sister’s way (Romans 14:13). It is our responsibility to never cause someone to stumble or to hinder his or her faith in Jesus Christ.
When Paul was addressing the church in Rome and Corinth, the matters of dispute were dietary – some in good conscience could eat meat that had been used in idol worship, others could not (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8). There are other church-severing issues that are making headlines today. God’s Word remains the same. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. When you sin against your brothers (sisters) in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ (1 Corinthians 8:9, 12).
PASSION Step: Is there anything in your life that may be hindering a brother or sister in Christ in their faith? If so, make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (Romans 14:19) today.
If I allow any turning away from God in my private life, everyone around me suffers.
Oswald Chambers
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